When asked by a reporter whether he felt Israel was pursuing its own objectives, in relation to the attack on Iran’s South Pars gasfield which Donald Trump said the US “knew nothing” about, Hegseth said: “We hold the cards.”
“We have objectives. Those objectives are clear. We have allies pursuing objectives as well,” he added. He explained earlier in the press conference that the US’s objectives were to destroy Iran’s missiles, launchers, defence industrial base and navy, and for Tehran to never obtain nuclear weapon.
On the South Pars gasfield attack, he said: “Iran has weaponised energy for decades. Israel clearly sent a warning.”
Answering a reporter’s question on Iran’s missile capabilities, considering the country has managed to strike numerous states in the Gulf, Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, said Tehran retains “some capability” to attack American assets.
“They came into this fight with a lot of weapons.,” he said, adding that the US was continuing to be “as aggressive and assertive” in striking Iran.
When asked by a reporter which countries were being the most cooperative with the US, Hegseth said Israel “from day one has been an incredible and capable partner, willing and able”.
He said the Gulf states have “stepped up incredibly”, adding: “We’re proud to be defending with them, standing with them, you name it. UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and others.”Hegseth ended his prepared speech with an overtly religious plea for Americans to pray for US troops “on bended knee with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ”.
Hegseth said the US-Israeli strikes against Iran has “struck over 7,000 targets”.
He said:
To date, we’ve struck over 7000 targets across Iran and its military infrastructure. That is not incremental. That is overwhelming force applied with precision.
He added that Iran’s ability to manufacture new ballistic missiles has “probably taken the hardest hit” and was “down 90% since the start of the conflict”.
“UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicle], think kamikaze drones, down 90%,” he said.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has opened a press conference on the Iran war saying he spoke to the families of six US service members who died when a military refueling aircraft crashed over Iraq last week.
He said:
They said, finish this. Honour their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done. My response, along with that of the president, was simple, of course we will finish this. We will honour their sacrifice.
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